5:13 PM
In Front of The Forest

Today the forest looked nearly peaceful, its weathered trees swaying in sync with the wind, birdssinging a song for passersby. The sun was about to go down—the group knew that—they just hoped they'd be out before it completely went dark.

Easton was currently pacing back and forth, muttering something under his breath like he usually would. "Can't we just go?" Easton said, venom laced in his tone.

Lane ignored his whining, instead, her Polaroid made a little 'click' as she took a picture. The camera shutter. Letting out an envelope picture. She shook it with her fingers and let it cool down on the forest's undergrowth.

"Hello? Is anybody hearing me?" This time Evie responded with a stern voice. "We have to wait for Mason, so just sit down and be quiet for a moment. My gosh."

Quietly the group waited, taking in this once-in-a-lifetime peaceful moment preparing for whatever the forest throws at them later. The only sound filling the air was Easton's foot tapping the ground while Evie and Floyd whispered among themselves.

Easton lifted his head to check if Mason had been near but realized something else, "Where's Lane?" Turning his head around to see if he could spot her somewhere between the large trees.

She couldn't have gone far. Just when he was about to go and search for his missing friend, Floyd's next words stopped him.

"Hey, that's Mason!" He called out, waving his hands to catch Mason's attention. "Yo, dude! Over here!"

"Sorry. My. Mom." He said in between breaths, dropping to the floor while holding a hand close to his chest in an attempt to steady his breathing.

"Okay, cool you're here! But where's Lane?" Easton asked.

"I saw her by that tree before, don't know where she is now though," Floyd said, shrugging as he pointed out her last whereabouts.

Evie brushed the dirt and grass off her clothes even as she stood up from her place, "She probably already went inside cause you guys were taking so long." Walking towards the forest entrance.

"Can't we just take a break for a bit?" Mason slumped back down to the dirty ground—posing like a starfish—his breathing still heavy. "Stop gasping, loser." Evie smiled at him while helping him up.

Forest, 6:25 PM

The autumn leaves crunched beneath their feet as they navigated their way through the dark forest. Traces of unidentified animal tracks led deeper into the uncharted area.

Lane had already reunited with the group after they found her feeding a hoard of squirrels. Easton cringed at the sight of a squashed animal, its original form barely discernible.

He kicked aside the decomposing figure, revealing what lay below; brownish goo tainted the grass and specks of an unknown substance.

"Leave it alone, Eas. It's already dead. It can't hurt you," Evie said, her tone almost a warning.

Easton gave her a frustrated stare. "I know." The words came out through clenched teeth. He checked his phone again, his complexion far more visible as the beaming light enhanced it.

On his screen was a little red dot indicating where they were positioned.
Mason blew out a breath softly, glancing around. For an unexplainable reason, the forest's surroundings brought a calming state to him.

The refreshing gust of wind that swept through the forest reminded him of the weather back home. Flowers bloomed with a sweet scent similar to his mother's perfume. "How far along are we?" he asked, letting his blonde hair flutter in the wind.

"About an hour or so."

Despite the signs and arrows on the trail—implying that someone had been here way beyond their time—the area (other than the signs) looked untouched. Going as far as to say, unexplored.

No one had been here in the past hundred years, if there was any sort of human lifeform here then the tall thick trees would've been chopped down in an instant. But it didn't.

Dark forest trees stood tall, sunlight slipping through the cracks between them, casting a long shadow looming over people who dared to path away.

"Do you smell that?" Mason pinched his nose with his hands while the other waved away the awful odor.

Floyd inhaled deeply, "It smells rotten." He trembled from the foul stink.

"Wait," Easton said, holding up a hand as a signal to stop. "Did you hear that?" His voice was uncertain. Just as he predicted, a small rustling sound emerged from the trees and bushes. Lane's head snapped at the distinct noise, "Probably just an animal, Eas. We're almost there."

"Even if there was something, I'd say we sacrifice Mason first." He quipped, nudging Lane's arm playfully. The warm smile he gave her looked somewhat genuine, a rare occurrence indeed.

At least it's progress, Lane reminded herself.
Two months ago Easton barely, if not at all, spared her a glance. His eyes skimmed over her as if she was a chameleon blending in with its environment.

But it was different now. Everything was different now.

Mason snorted, tagging along on—what he hoped was just a joke. "Hey, why me! Why not like Floyd or something?" Pointing towards the brunette-haired high-schooler beside him.

Floyd briskly knocked his hand aside. "Don't point fingers at me." His voice was subtle this time, "How about Evie?" The question undeniably aimed at Lane.

Her brows knitted together, puzzled about what he truly meant by the question. Was he asking if Lane would sacrifice Evie if needed? Or was he hinting at something else?

"What about Evie?" Lane questioned back, not wanting to answer the question, still very much aware of the fixated gaze Evie gave her.

"You've got to be kidding me!" An infuriated yell pulsated around the forest.

"What is it?" Lane inquired taking a peak over Easton's shoulder. "Holy-"

Below them was a drop-down, no doubt it was a long way down.

Both Lane and Easton hastily moved away from the unreliable rocky surface—Lane didn't trust it to not collapse under their weight.

"You reckon we would be able to survive that." That was a rhetorical question but Easton couldn't help to respond to it. "We won't be able to get back up though."

"And there's a guard there," Evie added, pointing at an open area in the center of the forest.

Sure enough, there was a guard, he wore a blue-ish uniform and his hands were both occupied with a fairly large gun. The combat boats he used left a vast imprint on the moist dirt, bound to be gone by sunrise.

Floyd scrunched up his nose, "Jeez, how dangerous is this forest if he has to be all geared up like that?"

"Can we go back now?" Mason asked pleadingly.

"Yeah," Easton said. "We'll come back later. At night."